Film and Television Production
BA (Hons)

Overview

Develop your passion for storytelling. Gain the craftsmanship and skills to begin a career in the ever-diversifying film and television industry, from drama to documentary, and music promos to moving image projects.

Make the most of Cambridge with its annual Film Festival and both arts and mainstream cinemas

Develop your skills in cinematography, editing, producing and directing in studio, on location and in multi-camera television studios. Learn from highly experienced filmmakers and teachers in our purpose-built facilities at Cambridge School of Art. You’ll also explore the theory and context of your craft with an emphasis on practice.

Focusing on creative practice and storytelling, you’ll shoot on film and video, from high definition to 16mm film, and learn post-production skills in editing, sound and grading.

We enjoy a close and rewarding relationship with the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, where the best films by our students are screened publicly at the end of year and for our annual degree show. We also host a selection of our students' films on our Vimeo channel.

Your work will be supported by award-winning lecturers and film and television professionals, whose work includes Emmy Award-winning documentaries for the BBC, Discovery, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITVS, BBC Radio 4 as well as promo, commercials and HUGO and BAFTA Award-winning drama.

Careers

This course will prepare you for employment or self-employment in film and television industries and the ever-expanding field of screen content including music, dance, marketing and fashion promos, as well as drama and documentary.

We place an emphasis on creativity and storytelling, as well as solid, transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, resourcefulness, and risk management.

You’ll also learn highly valued specialist skills such as editing, cinematography, production management, budgeting, producing and directing – invaluable as you launch a career in this highly competitive but growing and diverse creative industry.

Our recent graduates have gone on to work for the BBC, Ridley Scott Associates, Marmalade Productions, Vice, Envy Post-Production, Brand Anonymous, Sommersault Video Productions, DMED Productions (Paris) as well as securing work (and experience) on feature films such as Pride, The Theory of Everything, Kick-Ass 2, Storage 24, Berberian Sound Studio, Ill Manors; TV productions such as 24: Live Another Day; EastEnders; Holby City; and Fortitude as well as numerous commercials and music promos. Others have formed their own production companies or established themselves as freelance editors, cinematographers, production managers and even script supervisors.

Modules & assessment

Year one, core modules

This module will introduce you to the creative, practical and theoretical issues surrounding professional practices in screen production, and provide a solid grounding for your further study in later practice-based modules. You will learn to balance the creative and logistical requirements of screen production, exploring in seminars and practical workshops issues such as story structure, visual storytelling techniques and the creative use of sound and sound design, as well as crew functions and responsibilities, management of time and resources, production methods and risk management. The module will allow you to apply and bring together the craft skills you learn in other modules, working in teams towards a final short production (there will be an emphasis on the collaborative nature of film production). Your production team will present and discuss its work-in-progress with other students, from early ideas through script development to rough cut screenings and the final films. You will develop skills in critically evaluating your own and others’ work at each stage of the production, as well as developing key employability skills in teamwork, problem solving and communications. Your assessment will comprise a portfolio of work including your team's completed film and a written essay.

This module will give you a practical and theoretical introduction to editing and its role in the storytelling process. You'll apply your technical editing skills to the structuring of programmes in ways that will develop your skills in narrative, plot structure, exposition, pace, rhythm, and the grammar and syntax of various programme types. You'll learn how editing can effect viewers' perception of time, and how compression and expansion play important roles in the ways that stories are unfolded. You'll see how tension can be created through the use of editing techniques, and you'll acquire skills in combining visuals with music and effects. The module will also introduce you to Final Cut Pro, promoting a familiarity with the technology and the terminology employed by the media production industry.

This module will introduce you to the discipline of producing programmes, building on the technical and critical skills you acquire in Screen Practice 1. You will focus on: planning, preparation and rehearsal (all of which are essential to make the best use of valuable filming time); the roles and responsibilities of all those engaged in production; the preparation of running orders, scripts, call sheets and floor plans; the skills of location- and studio- directing. You will have access to studios and equipment, allowing you to film both on location and in the studio. You will learn how to work in groups; the hierarchy of production roles; the contextual and broadcast landscape; how to operate specialist equipment; how to work with contributors; access; planning and preparation; research and scripting. The module will also further develop your skills in editing, camera and sound, and equip you with transferable skills such as troubleshooting, production management, negotiation and diplomacy, and peer feedback, which will enhance your future productions. By the end of the module you will have a deeper understanding of professional production practices in film and television. You will be assessed on the nature and quality of your participation in productions, the final projects, and your critical analysis.

This module will introduce you to some of the key aspects of the history of art and industry, to help provide a context for your work in the medium. You will cover selected historical and critical topics in lectures, then discuss and analyse them in follow-on seminars. You ill also attend an accompanying series of weekly screenings. Along with historical knowledge, the module will develop your vocabulary for critical and analytical discussion of style and theme in screen media. Through guidance and practice, you will also develop your skills in academic research and writing. Your assessment will comprise two elements of coursework: a mid-module assignment in film or programme reviewing, and an end-of-module discursive essay from a set of prescribed topics.

Year one, optional modules

This module will introduce you to cinematography skills, through a focus on interior and exterior location work through lectures, seminars, inductions and workshops.
You'll learn how to use high-definition video cameras through fully-manual operation, developing your ability to judge exposure, focus and colour temperature and therefore optimise the performance of the camera in any given situation.
In addition to learning about framing, lens characteristics and depth of field, you'll also take part in visual storytelling, using the technical possibilities offered by cameras to achieve creative ends. You will then relate this to
historical and contemporary traditions within cinematography.
You'll also learn to operate portable film lights safely and effectively on location and to use correction gels and diffusion materials as appropriate.
The acquisition of these skills is tested through the production of two moving-image sequences involving interior and exterior location work. The first sequence you will produce individually, to ensure that your technical camera skills are in place. To facilitate lighting, you'll then work in small production teams for the second sequence, with each student taking the lead as cinematographer once.

This module will familiarise you with celluloid-based film production within a studio shoot context. You'll then produce a short film on 16mm film, collaborating as Directors and Cinematographers and employing other group members as crew. Visual storytelling is a vital theme throughout the module and is related to the established traditions of filmmaking and the expectations that have developed in the audiences of this medium.
Following an introductory lecture and seminar, you'll attend a series of technical workshops in the film studio, covering scene structure, shot types, established guidelines of film grammar, subjective perspective, exposure, lens characteristics, pre-production preparation, 16mm camera, lighting, the dynamics of the drama film crew, risk assessment policies and health and safety procedures specific to the fiction film.
Group tutorials outside of scheduled teaching time will provide you with additional pre-production and production support. During these you'll produce short written analyses that identify techniques used in film productions of your choosing. The module will end with a screening and group critique.

This module will equip you with the skill base needed to make an entry-level submission in the industry, both in schemes for new writers and relevant competitions. You'll analyse a range of television dramas, learning how story ideas are generated and developed into a workable template. You'll then progress to developing your own original idea, producing a short treatment and the first few pages of a television script as well as some supporting material. Your final submission will be divided between a short critical essay as well as the creative practice component.

These two modules are only available for International Students, and are worth 15 credits each. You'll focus on the advanced writing and organisational skills necessary for essays and other written assignments, including planning, paragraphing, and developing an argument. Your studies will have a particular emphasis on the importance of good academic practice, especially accurate referencing and the use of bibliographies. You'll also practise extracting key points from a variety of spoken or written texts and writing summaries, and develop your discussion skills so as to contribute confidently to seminars and tutorials, as well as receiving guidance about independent learning using the wide range of resources available in our University Library and Language Centre.

Year two, core modules

This module will focus on your storytelling skills, idea generation, research, interviewing, proposal writing, pitching and directing. You’ll build on your ability to work independently and as part of a team, improve your communication in both written and film work, and your critical practice and analysis. Documentary filmmaking requires a collaborative approach, recognising and using the talents of others. It also requires quick decision-making and agility, and the ability to draw on personal or developing experiences. The module is structured around different production projects, which explore a range of styles within the documentary form and an essay that critically evaluates a broadcast documentary. At the end of each project strand there is a critique at which each group is asked to screen and discuss their work. Through seminars, lectures and workshops you will gain a solid grounding in all aspects of documentary practice building on the affiliated practice based modules.

Whilst the feature-length fiction film remains the dominant format in cinema, priorities in television and online lie elsewhere. Television series, TV advertisements, viral commercials, YouTube and its future derivatives, networking sites all utilise the short form. The ever-growing competition for the viewer's attention requires the filmmaker to produce stories that are well told, aimed at a specific target audience, original in content and style, unpredictable but not illogical, and short. To succeed in the market the filmmaker has to be ultra efficient and this module is designed to bring you closer to this ideal. On this module you will explore a range of styles, conventions and methods of addressing audiences. Working in small production groups you devise, develop and produce short fiction films. You will receive technical support, opportunities for critical and technical discussions, briefings, critiques, reviews and tutorial support. For assessment you will submit the completed film in which you played a major role, accompanying documentation on the production planning, a production analysis and reflection on the production process and team contribution. The module will include an element of Personal Development Planning.

On this module, you'll explore the links between critical studies and practice, enriching your knowledge and developing your articulacy about your specialism, as well as drawing on wider perspectives in relation to your own work. You will focus particularly on debates about contemporary practice. Your studies will be seminar-based and, where appropriate and possible, held in the studio. In discussions, you'll engage with theory and history alongside your own developing ideas about contemporary production, with an open agenda that will respond to current events, work and interests.

Year two, optional modules

This is a very hands-on practical 'Script to Screen' module focusing on the collaboration of Director and Cinematographer, helping you to develop the language and craft skills to bring the words on a page to life on the screen. This module will give you a detailed understanding of the collaborative relationship between cinematography and directing and develop your visual storytelling skills. You will practice translating the script from the page to the screen, considering dramatic interpretation, subtext and mise-en-scène, with a focus on the planning and communication of your ideas. Practical workshops will introduce you to working with actors and advance your craft skills in camera and lighting. You will develop the language with which to collaborate in the triangle between direction, performance and camera. The skills you develop on this module will relate directly to the advanced core modules at level 5 and level 6. Over the course of the module, in classes and as set exercises, you will complete a number of short, filmed practical exercises. Your assessment will comprise a critical reflection based on illustrative material drawn from the core practical exercises, workshops and your individual research.

You’ll determine how designers collaborate with directors, cinematographers and costume designers to visually portray character, period, place, mood and quality in order to support and develop visual storytelling for the screen. You'll also consider the responsibilities of different roles in pre-production and look at how designers communicate and document collaborative decisions, how they get information to set, and the chain of communication through the art department. During the module, you’ll give presentations, watch and discuss selected screenings covering the material, and practice using the elements of mise-en-scène for a selected script. You’ll also examine different sorts of design typologies that will assist in your visual decisions and, ultimately, your collaborations with key creative members of screen production. At the end of the module, you’ll undertake the breakdown of a script to identify design potential, manipulating the elements of design (colour, texture, scale, lens and stock choices) and the languages of genre.

This module is an opportunity for you to develop not just screenwriting craft skills but your personal voice as a generator of ideas for the screen. With a focus on the short form, you will develop a portfolio of script projects to develop and use in future modules: Short Fiction, Specialised Practice and Major Project. Short form screen content is increasingly important with the proliferation of online platforms. From the classic short drama, to poetic projects and even branded content for screen, a 40 second or 10 minute film must be perfectly formed to grab and hold the audience's attention. The key is a good script. In this module you will examine scriptwriting from ideas generation, narrative structures, characterisation, dialogue and cinematic storytelling. You will develop an understanding of the audience and platforms of delivery for the various short formats. You will develop critical and analytical skills in evaluating existing short scripts and films. You will give written and verbal feedback to your peers by identifying and applying key elements of successful script writing. The focus of the module is on the iterative process of screen writing; testing an idea then taking it through to a draft, receiving feedback and re-writing. Over the course of the module you are encouraged to develop your storytelling voice through practical exercises, peer feedback and workshops. For assessment, you will develop a portfolio of work including a number of developed script ideas with one idea that you work through a number of drafts, script notes and a critical reflection.

This module will introduce you to the practical tools needed to set yourself up in business in the creative arts, as a company, a partnership or a freelancer. You'll explore a sector of the creative industries, identifying potential opportunities within it and producing a basic business plan. Your emphasis will be on self-reflection, innovative thinking and communication skills, while the subjects that you'll cover include: the creative industries; developing and analysing a business idea; types of business model; assessing your market; ideas behind marketing; basic accounts; tax and legal issues; and planning for start-up. You'll be asked to translate these into practice by applying them to your own ideas, which will then become part of your own business plan. The module will be delivered through lectures, seminars, student presentations, critiques and workshops. Your formative assessment will involve presentations, while the summative assessment will be based on your critical evaluation of employment opportunities in a sector of the creative industries and your portfolio of work, including a
business plan or employment strategy and supporting documents.

This module addresses the multi-faceted managerial, creative and entrepreneurial roles of the producer within the film, television and non-broadcast industries. The module encourages you to consider and explore the more specific producing skills for the short form, which is usually the entry level opportunity for new or first time producers. Starting from the premise that the story is at the heart of the process, you will explore the producer’s role in generating the initial idea, critically developing scripts, pitching for funding, production managing, handling legal issues and marketing the project. You will examine the personal skills required by a producer to deliver the final project, which include resilience, clear communication skills, focus, leadership and teamwork. This module is delivered through a combination of talks, workshops and presentations. The module will help you develop many of the transferable skills required by the industry. It will be supported by the encouragement of contact with agents, funding bodies, film festivals and creative talent. You are encouraged to identify sources of funding, to prepare and present business cases, and to develop the ability to build and sustain professional relationships. Over the course of the module you will work on practical exercises which reflect current production and funding opportunities, building towards project proposals that include pitch and story documents, budgets, schedules, marketing and delivery plans and these will form the basis of your assessment portfolio.

This module will give you the opportunity to consider, and experiment with, means of creating and disseminating digital
content across a variety of platforms. You'll explore the growing diversity of digital means by which audiences are reached in the 21st century, and consider and produce working examples of content best suited to new and evolving
(online) digital channels. You'll also be encouraged to explore cultural, technical or commercial changes in the media industries and engage with current debates about digital media. As well as creative practice based on a range of digital media methods, which includes current professional software packages, you'll examine, analyse and evaluate possibilities offered to the producer by the online environment, online-archives and multi-platform developments. In discussions, you'll cover emerging media formats such as memes, interactive documentary, podcasting, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, as well as distribution over multiple platforms. Further, you will explore distribution and reception methods offered by and within Social Media, the opportunities and limitations of these platforms, and the connections and relationships formed with online audiences, as well as improving your technical competency. You'll work following a brief, using mixed learning methods and shared skills and expertise, including teamwork and collaboration. For summative assessment, you will produce linear content, or non-linear footage designed for digital delivery, or content that can be distributed over a range of channels, as well as supporting materials.

Year three, core modules

On this module, you'll explore a specialist area of your practice in personal creative terms. Your project may take a number of forms, including but not limited to: a short film or video production, a fully developed script (to be produced the following semester), a multimedia presentation or an installation. At the beginning of the module, you'll formulate a detailed proposal with specific objectives, which must be agreed upon formally with your supervising tutor. Your personal exploration of ideas, your development of specialist skills and your presentation at the review and assessment will be of particular importance. Your assessment will comprise a portfolio presentation of outcomes judged against your agreed objectives. Subject to prior tutor agreement, you can include a report and detailed log book on an independently negotiated work placement as part of your assessment. This module will include the final element of your Personal Development Planning.

The individual Major Project will allow you to undertake a substantial piece of individual research, focused on a topic relevant to your specific course.
Your topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. The project will require you to identify/formulate problems and issues, conduct research, evaluate information, process data, and critically appraise and present your findings/creative work.
You should arrange and attend regular meetings with your project supervisor, to ensure that your project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction.

Year three, optional modules

The Research Project will foster your independent study with the guidance of a tutor.
You'll devise your own project that will reflect on/co-ordinate with/enhance your own studio work and interests, encouraging your self-reflexivity and critical distance.
Seminars will give you a forum to learn from each other's research. You will also be supported by individual tutorials with a member of staff.
The Research Project may include a variety of relevant topics, including reporting on your own work experience. You can illustrate it with photographs, drawings or video, discussing your approach with your assigned tutor. (30 credits)

The Research Assignment module will foster your independent study with the guidance of a Supervisor. You will negotiate a topic with your supervisor, and devise your own project to reflect on / co-ordinate with / enhance your studio work and interests, relying on your self-reflexivity and critical distance. Classes will provide a forum for all students to learn from each other's research, but you will also have opportunities for individual tutorials with a member of staff. Your Research Assignment may be illustrated with photographs, drawings, and video. You will be assessed by way of a 3000-word written assignment. (15 credits)

Gaining work experience enhances your employability, and work based learning offers you the chance to gain industry knowledge, skills, contacts and networking opportunities. This module gives you the opportunity to explore a working environment relevant to the industry you hope to build a career in. The module will encourage your self-managed learning, and aims to develop your personal organisation, team-working, and networking skills, thereby increasing your self-reliance and confidence. You can use the experience as a basis for directing and focussing your career plans, as well as inspiration for your final year projects. In association with your module tutor, you will identify, negotiate and agree with an employer (or employers) the terms of your placement, ensuring that the module learning outcomes can be achieved. You will also create a reflective report on your work experience, including: the application procedure you have conducted (CV, letter and portfolio); market and background information on the employer; your role(s) on the placement(s); an academic and vocational analysis; skills and experiences (opportunities, advantages, constraints, aptitudes and interests). You will also be asked to include a workplace diary that logs activity and supports an analysis of the learning achieved. On completion of the placement, the employer will be asked to complete a Student Feedback package. The work placement(s) may be carried out in a variety of settings depending upon your requirements, areas of interest and availability of opportunities. The minimum period of the placement will be 100 hours, and you can undertake more than one placement for the module.

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through mostly practical portfolios supported by written analytical work. All your coursework will be project–based, reflecting either the technical or production skills required for the film and television industry.

Where you'll study

Your department and faculty

Using our creative expertise and industry connections in Cambridge and beyond, we create experiences that entertain, educate, inspire and improve lives.

At Cambridge School of Creative Industries, we believe in the importance of experimentation and risk-taking to create experiences that entertain, educate, inspire and improve lives.

Whether writing bestselling fiction, creating challenging documentaries or sharing a piano with people on the autism spectrum, the expertise of our staff goes far beyond teaching. Their research produces significant funding success, leading to important publications and international conferences.

Where can I study?

Events

Every year we run a series of specialist lectures and workshops led by industry professionals. In these ‘Wired’ events, you’ll learn about up-to-date industry practices and get invaluable advice. Our past speakers have included Sean Bobbitt (cinematographer: 12 Years a Slave, The Place Beyond the Pines, Hunger), Larry Sider (sound designer, The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, Mirrormask); and Emmy Award-winning documentary director, Geoffrey Smith (The English Surgeon, Presumed Guilty

Our Creative Front Futures events, run by Creative Front Cambridgeshire, will give you a broader taste of the creative industries, allowing you to find out more about the world of film and television production and to explore other career options.

Throughout the course you’ll also get first-hand experience of the industry at informal work placements and benefit from our close links with Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, where we hold regular student and industry events.

For post-production work you’ll get access to more than 30 Final Cut editing suites with the complete Adobe Creative Cloud software suite including Premier Pro, after Affects, audition and Speed Grade, and the Adobe Creative Suite master collection.

You’ll be trained on all our equipment by a team of experienced technical staff, who also maintain and manage the facilities.

International students

Funding for UK & EU students

Most new undergraduate students can apply for government funding to support their studies and university life. This includes Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans. There are additional grants available for specific groups of students, such as those with disabilities or dependants.

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course, please email answers@anglia.ac.uk for further information.

We don't accept AS level qualifications on their own for entry to our undergraduate degree courses. However for some degree courses a small number of tariff points from AS levels are accepted as long as they're combined with tariff points from A levels or other equivalent level 3 qualifications in other subjects.

International students

We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.

Get more information

UK & EU applicants

International applicants

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